Oyebanji disburses N49m to 90 youth groups

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Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has disbursed N49m as the second tranche of the state’s 2026 youth subvention to 90 youth organisations across the state as part of efforts to give them greater leverage in governance.

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The Commissioner for Youth Development, Adesola Adedayo, said the intervention was approved by the governor “as part of efforts to strengthen youth organisations, promote grassroots participation and empower young people to contribute meaningfully to the development of the state.”

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Adedayo said in Ado Ekiti on Monday that “the N49m subvention we are disbursing to 90 youth groups is the second tranche of the state government’s subvention to youth organisations for 2026.

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“The subvention was designed to support registered youth, student and community-based organisations in implementing their programmes and running their activities without excessive dependence on politicians or personal contributions from members.

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“The programme has also been expanded to accommodate community-based youth organisations at the grassroots. Government is determined to ensure that youths across the state benefit from its shared prosperity agenda,” he said.

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The commissioner, who said the ultimate objective was to empower youths to become active contributors to the development of Ekiti State, urged the beneficiaries to “utilise the funds judiciously for programmes that will strengthen your organisations, develop your members and contribute to the development of your communities.”

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He also encouraged youth organisations to take their associations seriously, acquire relevant skills and key into other government programmes designed to improve the capacity and welfare of young people.

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Adedayo, who said the government had put measures in place to ensure accountability and transparency in the disbursement and utilisation of the funds, said beneficiary organisations were required to maintain functional association bank accounts into which the subvention would be paid.

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He added that beneficiary organisations were also expected to submit reports detailing their activities and how the funds were utilised.

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Adedayo said the government would continue to expand the programme to accommodate more duly registered and active youth organisations whose activities could be verified, expressing optimism that more organisations would benefit from subsequent tranches.

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The Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Development, Elijah Maxwell, said the intervention had “enabled youth organisations to finance programmes, meet office-related expenses and organise activities capable of positively engaging young people.”

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Maxwell said the consistency of the intervention since 2024 demonstrated the Oyebanji administration’s commitment to youth development, adding that “direct financial support to youth organisations will help keep young people engaged in productive activities and reduce their dependence on politicians for the survival of their associations.”

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The South-West Treasurer of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Ashabi Sabi, who described the intervention as a departure from the past when student organisations had to approach individuals and politicians for financial assistance, said the subvention had significantly improved the body’s ability to run its affairs and implement programmes.

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He said NANS would deploy its allocation to programmes with a direct impact on students, including initiatives aimed at assisting students facing financial difficulties, as well as programmes targeted at improving students’ welfare and capacity.

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Also, the Chairman of the Ekiti State chapter of the National Youth Congress, Temitope Adedara, and his National Youth Council of Nigeria counterpart, James Bankole, hailed the state government for extending the subvention scheme to grassroots youth organisations.

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They said the inclusion of grassroots organisations was particularly significant because many of them lacked the resources to execute their programmes and sustain their activities.

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The leaders said the subvention had also strengthened cooperation among youth organisations, as different groups were now better positioned to pursue their programmes and contribute to youth development without unhealthy rivalry.

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The NYC and NYCN expressed appreciation to Governor Oyebanji and the Ministry of Youth Development, describing the intervention as a major boost to their programmes, organisational capacity and youth development initiatives.

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